Top Eight Cage Warriors Moments of 2025

With the dust still settling from Cage Warriors’ final event of the year, Cage Warriors 199, we caught up with the man whose voice provides the soundtrack to their events, play-by-play commentator Brad Wharton, who gave us his top eight Cage Warriors moments of 2025.

1. Nicolas Leblond’s Comeback For The Ages

Shaj Haque vs Nicolas Leblond

Cage Warriors 199, December 6, 2025

French contender Nicolas Leblond had been chasing his title opportunity for several years, and when he finally got it, he was determined not to let it slip through his fingers. What followed was one of the best comeback wins in Cage Warriors history.

“The greatest piece of MMA commentary of all time is Jon Anik’s 'That is not the cloth from which he is cut…” line at the close of Leon Edwards’ comeback victory against Kamaru Usman,” stated Wharton.

“It was an elegant, yet throwaway line, completely unscripted, that when combined with the shocking head-kick that followed, became iconic.

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“At Cage Warriors 199, Cage Warriors had our own ‘...not from the cloth’ moment. Nicolas Leblond had been trying to fight Shaj Haque for the flyweight world title for years, with everything from injuries to inclement weather standing in its way. A horrible weight cut that saw him make the championship limit with a solitary minute to spare was the latest spanner in the works.

“The Frenchman wasn’t his usual explosive self on the night, but that could be just as much down to Haque’s incredible ability to make himself almost impossible to draw a bead on. What followed was almost five relatively uneventful rounds of the champion dancing around and chipping away at the challenger. With a minute on the clock, I was desperate to inject a bit of drama into the home stretch.

“‘Can Nicolas Leblond pull off the comeback of the century here?’ I asked, and the Gods of Violence answered. As if on cue, Leblond uncorked a left hook that separated the champ from his senses. A flurry of punches, a snapdown and a rear-naked choke followed in the ensuing chaos and, just like that, the Frenchman had turned the entire division on its head.”

2. Marc-Phillipe Ngatchou’s Spinning BackFist

Marc-Phillipe Ngatchou vs Yusuf Nazokatov

Cage Warriors 197, November 21, 2025

When you watch Cage Warriors shows, it pays to be watching from the first fight to the last, because the highlight-reel moments come up and down the fight card. One of Cage Warriors’ finishes of 2025 came mid-way through the preliminary card at Cage Warriors 197, as a German prospect making only the third appearance of his pro career delivered a show-stopper of a KO in Manchester.

AMAZING SPINNING BACKFIST KO FROM NGATCHOU #CW197 pic.twitter.com/Pgztxn9KwM

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) November 21, 2025

“There’s such a thing in broadcasting as ‘The Commentator’s Curse’,” Wharton began.

“Basically, the more authority with which you state something, the more likely it is for the exact opposite to immediately play out. Say that a submission isn’t on? Your man will be tapping like Fred Astaire.

“The universe isn’t entirely cruel, though; sometimes it offers up the odd morsel to balance things out. Such was the case when Marc-Phillipe Ngatchou took on Yusuf Nazokatov at CW 197 in Manchester. The German had been spamming spinning backfists in the opening round, and as co-commentator Dan Strauss and I poured over the replays as the second was getting underway, Strauss posed me a question.

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“’What do you reckon, Brad, how many spinning backfists in this round?’

“’I’m going to set the over/under at three…’ I replied.

“Guess what happened next? Ngatchou let rip with a Killer Instinct-style dial-a-combo of an outside crescent kick into a whizzing spinning backfist that sent Nazokatov crashing to the mat, unconscious.

“The lesson? Commentator’s Curse be damned…and always bet the under.”

3. Yannick Bahati’s Four-Second Finish

Yannick Bahati vs Charles Joyner

Cage Warriors 186, March 21, 2025

Whenever there’s a rematch on a fight card, there’s some added spice involved, and Yannick Bahati came in hot as he claimed the fastest finish in Cage Warriors history.

“How much can you say about a fight that lasts four seconds?” asked Wharton.

“There are many bout listed at three or four seconds on MMA’s various record-keeping databases, but when Yannick Bahati and Charles Joyner threw down (well, when one of them did) at CW 186, I’m confident in saying that the result was the fastest knockout in a notable MMA organization.

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“The bout was a rematch; their previous outing ended in an equally rare ‘technical decision, split draw’ result, after it was marred by fouls, point deductions and an eventual eye-poke stoppage. To say that there was some bad blood between the pair would be an understatement, but what better way to settle some bad blood than with a good, old-fashioned punch-up?

“Turns out Bahati took that literally, and while Joyner inched out slowly looking to touch hands, his opponent dashed forward and caught him cold with a lightning fast one-hitter quitter. People can debate the morals of it, but the visual of the 6’8 Joyner crashing to the canvas is undeniable.”

4. Luke Riley’s Last Dance

Luke Riley vs Tariel Abasov

Cage Warriors 185, March 15, 2025

Prior to his UFC debut, Luke Riley signed off from his Cage Warriors stint with another highlight-reel performance to give a final teaser of what UFC fans can expect from the Liverpool-based fighter in the Octagon.

“The best thing about calling fights for Cage Warriors is the number of incredibly talented athletes that come through our door every year,” said Wharton.

“The worst thing is having to say goodbye to those who eventually make their way to the ranks of the UFC, but those bittersweet moments are why we do this.

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“They didn’t come more bittersweet than Luke Riley’s last dance at CW 185 earlier this year. The Liverpool man had made the BEC Arena his fortress over the years thanks to some all-time great battles and stunning knockouts. With visa issues cancelling a planned appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Riley took the road less travelled and opted to continue fighting a murderer’s row of opponents while the pencil pushers did their work.

“Critics said he’d struggled against an elite-level wrestler with a surname ending in -ov, so that’s exactly who he faced in his defiant final Cage Warriors appearance. After holding out against Tariel’s Abasov’s superior grappling in the first, Riley brought the CW crowd to its feet for one final time in the second, overwhelming him with a barrage of strikes as he’d done so many times before.

“The kid knew that he had to make himself unignorable, and as he leapt the cage and grabbed my mic and headset to address Dana and the UFC matchmakers directly, that’s exactly what he’d become.”

5. Sean Clancy Captures The Gold

Sean Clancy Jr vs Melvin van Suijdam

Cage Warriors 199, December 6, 2025

With Paul Craig stepping down from the big stage earlier this year, Scottish MMA needs a new star to carry the flag. In newly-crowned Cage Warriors interim welterweight champion Sean Clancy Jr, it looks like they’ve found one.

“We’ve known for some time that Sean Clancy Jr is something special, but in the last fight of Cage Warriors’ last event of the year, he took things to the next level and proved - once and for all - that the hype was entirely justified,” explained Wharton.

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“Color commentator Dan Strauss and I had already called what were arguably two of the best Cage Warriors finishes of all time back-to-back that night. We shared a trepidatious glance as Clancy’s main event against Melvin van Suijdam got underway; surely he couldn’t pull another blinder out of the bag?

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from calling Clancy’s fights in recent years, though, it’s that he’s all about answering questions like that in the most emphatic way possible. In his previous bout, he’d gutted out a couple of extremely close submission attempts against Italo Gomes before coming out in the second to submit his man with all the ease of a three-stripe blackbelt turning up to a beginners class.

“His bout against Melvin van Suijdam last month went a similar way - He hung tough against a cage general for the first five minutes, only to come out in the second round and switch his man off with a crushing two-piece so casually, it was as though the idea had only just occurred to him. Could he pull another blinder out of the bag? Yes, with bells on.”

6. Burlinson And Sheehan Go To War

James Sheehan vs Justin Burlinson

Cage Warriors 188: April 25, 2025

Hailing from Sunderland, England, Justin Burlinson has seen his fair share of adversity during a tough few years that have included health scares and defeat on Dana White’s Contender Series. But he’s bounced back with a vengeance since, and heads into 2026 on a three-fight finish streak that has taken him to the Cage Warriors welterweight title.

“‘Going to war’ is such a tired cliche in a sport where back-and-forth rough ‘n’ tumble is the order of the day,” said Wharton.

“The best cliches exist for a reason, though, especially in the case of war machines like James Sheehan and Justin Burlinson.

“Sheehan had won the Cage Warriors welterweight title on home turf the year before, and after some unfortunate injury issues, was making his first defence almost a year to the day later against former title challenger Justin Burlinson. With both men having the constitution of a Sherman tank, what we were expecting was exactly what we got.

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“It was a bout jam-packed with drama. The home fighter had us on the edge of our seats after connecting with a crushing shot that dropped Burlinson like a puppet with its strings cut, but somehow he survived. Not only did he survive, but he came back to shatter his opponent's jaw with brutal shots of his own.

“In the fourth round, he took full advantage, snaking an arm around Sheehan’s compromised mandible and squeezing with every ounce of his strength for the tap. It took the air out of the Dublin room; the emotion of the moment for Burlinson wasn’t lost on the rest of the cageside. Not only had he erased the memory of his previous title opportunity against Rhys McKee, but the victory also marked another stop on his road back from cancer recovery.“

7. Solomon Simon knocks out Iorga

Solomon Simon vs Cristian Iorga

Cage Warriors 188: April 25, 2025

Nigerian-born Irish featherweight “King” Solomon Simon ended the year by capturing the vacant Cage Warriors featherweight title. But it’s his first-round finish of Cristian Iorga from earlier in the year that makes Wharton’s top eight moments list.

“Solomon Simon is a name you’re going to have to get to know pretty quickly,” said Wharton.

“A tenured amateur, I’d been lucky enough to call some of his fights at the EMMAA Four Nations tournament prior to him joining the professional ranks on Cage Warriors, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect when he strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves. Having Irish MMA legend Paul Redmond - a teammate of Sol’s at Dublin’s Team Ryano - in the booth with me didn’t hurt.

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“‘King’ Simon’s record may be that of a relative novice, but that’s where the 20+ high-level amateur bouts come in. His patience and ability to execute a game plan is a joy to behold and commentate on - you never know what’s coming next, or when it will come. 

“The Nigerian-born Dubliner had forged a reputation for pulling buzzer-beater submissions out of the bag in previous bouts, but nothing could have prepared us for how he’d close the show against Cristian Iorga.

“Iorga had just gone the full five rounds against formidable finisher George Hardwick at 155 pounds, so conventional wisdom said that he wasn’t going to be sent for an early bath by a featherweight. Conventional wisdom be damned, Sol countered Iorga’s trademark leaping hook with a stiff right hand, turning his opponent’s legs to jelly as he crashed face-first into the canvas less than two minutes into the first frame.

“Redmond’s response? ‘Told ya! That man has got some dynamite in his hands. Better Call Sol!’”

8. Daniel Konrad’s Flying Armbar

George Hardwick vs Daniel Konrad

Cage Warriors 199, December 6, 2025

Dangerous Swiss lightweight contender showed that he’s got plenty of tricks up his sleeve, as evidenced by his submission of the year candidate at Cage Warriors 199 earlier this month…

“I’ve been somehow personally or professionally involved in this crazy sport for around twenty-five years now, and over that time I’ve come across more than my fair share of good - and bad - nicknames,” said Wharton.

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“I’ll be honest, it’s made me a bit of a snob; while I appreciate the good ones, I’m quick to look down on the lazy or meaningless. All of which is to say, my interest was piqued when a man calling himself the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ signed with Cage Warriors last year.

“Daniel Konrad is Swiss, so that’s one box ticked. He gave a great account of himself in a losing effort to James Sheehan up at welterweight, then went through Aiden Lee like a hot knife through butter back at his natural home of 155 pounds in his sophomore effort. ‘Swiss Army Knife’ though? I still wasn’t sure.

“Konrad put all doubts to bed against former lightweight champion George Hardwick at Cage Warriors 199, though. Hardwick, as we know, is no joke. Konrad had completely shut him down for much of the opening round, but just as the local fighter appeared to be getting back into it, the Zurich man pulled off his magnum opus.

“Konrad leapt onto the air and - in a moment that left even my grappling expert co-commentator Daniel Strauss speechless - clamped on one of the most technically beautiful flying armbar finishes we’ve ever seen. It was a genuine ‘jaws on the floor’ moment, and a frank reminder of exactly why MMA is so relentlessly entertaining. 

“Swiss Army Knife? Yeah, Swiss Army Knife.”

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